Multiple tests have been developed for detecting components in urine. Such tests can provide information about overall health as well as provide an indication of a specific health problem. When timely administered, such tests may also be able to provide an early indication of a health problem, which may be very advantageous for effective treatment. By way of example, urine testing can be used to detect jaundice prior to visible symptoms. Jaundice is typically caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the body. Increased levels of bilirubin as well as the reduction products of bilirubin, e.g., urobilinogen, can be an indicator of several disease states including, for instance, malaria, sickle cell anemia, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatotoxicity, alcoholism, cirrhosis, Gilbert's syndrome, gallstones, and cancers including pancreatic cancer, ductal carcinoma as well as metastatic carcinomas in general.
Such tests may be performed by having a patient voluntarily collect and provide a sample. However, patient-collected urine samples may not be readily available with certain test subjects such as children, elderly adults, and injured or non-ambulatory patients. Additionally, it may be preferable to collect and test urine samples from these subjects at certain times or conditions where the patient is not necessarily in the presence of medical or otherwise specially trained personnel. Frequently, such subjects may be provided with a diaper or other absorbent article to collect urine and provide for disposal in a hygienic manner. Of course, these articles must be periodically checked to determine whether urine and other bodily waste have been collected.
Specific products have been developed for collecting and detecting urine samples using a diaper and/or an absorbent article. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,660 describes a disposable article that includes a biosensor adapted to detect a specific biological analyte in bodily waste. U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,496 indicates a disposable diaper having one or more chemical reagents applied to the absorbent region that change color when certain components are present. U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,236 indicates a disposable absorbent product that includes a chemically reactive means that is applied, for example, to one or more layers of the absorbent product.
Despite these developments, a need for improvement remains. A device capable of testing a bodily fluid such as urine for one or more particular components symptomatic of jaundice or liver disease would be beneficial. Additionally, an absorbent article that can provide, an effective urine test for early detection of analytes symptomatic of jaundice would also be particularly beneficial.